Which games are involved in this debate over the shift toward action?

Four series come up in the comments: Metro 2039, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Control: Resonant and Alien: Isolation 2, with intensity ranging from 10% to 25% of the discussion depending on the game.

Do Plague Tale fans reject the new combat system?

Not unanimously: a majority of comments remain critical of the Batman-style combat, but a notable share of the audience says it enjoys the more dynamic approach without seeing it as a betrayal.

Is the concern as strong for Metro 2039 as for Alien: Isolation 2?

No, the concern is stronger for Alien: Isolation 2, where fear of a softened pursuit comes up often, while on Metro 2039 excitement for the action largely outweighs the criticism.

Is Control: Resonant also part of this controversy?

The topic is tracked there but stays marginal in the available comment volume, with no wave of criticism comparable to what's seen on the other three games.

Are these game series losing their identity by shifting to action?

The context

On October 7, 2024, marking the original game's tenth anniversary, Creative Assembly announced Alien: Isolation 2, featuring a new protagonist named Blake, a Weyland-Yutani manager, for PC, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2.

On June 8, 2025, during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy was unveiled, with a release date set for August 27, 2026 on Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

After Remedy Entertainment acquired full rights to the Control franchise from 505 Games in February 2024, the sequel was revealed as Control Resonant on December 11, 2025 at The Game Awards, targeting a 2026 release.

4A Games and Deep Silver announced Metro 2039, the fourth mainline entry in the series, in April 2026, with a trailer shown on June 7, 2026 at the Xbox Games Showcase; the game is slated for February 2027.

Sources: Alien: Isolation 2 - Xenopedia · Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy - A Plague Tale Wiki · Control Resonant - Control Wiki · Metro 2039 - Metro Wiki

Factual background compiled from public sources — the debate analysis below relies exclusively on the comments.

How we got here

as told by the comments

Summer 2025

On Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, early doubts surface with the first footage: some players already sense a disconnect from the previous two games.

April 2026

Metro 2039 joins the conversation as early trailers draw comparisons to more frontal shooters, breaking with the series' usual survival tension.

June 7, 2026

Peak on Metro 2039: the trailer sparks a wave of 'Wolfenstein: Metro' memes and a widely shared comment claims the series has lost its identity since Exodus.

Mid-June 2026

The Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy gameplay reveal reignites the debate: the new 'Batman-style' combat draws Assassin's Creed comparisons, with some calling out a lost identity.

June 17, 2026

Alien: Isolation 2 enters the debate as commenters fear the creature's merciless pursuit could be softened to make the game more accessible.

Late July 2026

Control: Resonant gets linked to the same wave of action-leaning 'Resonance' titles, though the topic stays marginal there for lack of a comparable comment volume.

Metro 2039

~10% of the discussion on this game

On Metro 2039, fear of an action shift mostly shows up as jokes comparing the game to Wolfenstein. Yet most reactions stay enthusiastic about this more frontal direction.

Lost identity 25 %

The trailer's gunfire-heavy pacing leads some to say the post-apocalyptic subway now feels like a Wolfenstein corridor shooter.

« You turned the subway into Wolfenstein »

— @lisssv3 · ♥ 2 k · translated · see original ↗

One comment argues the series lost its identity after Exodus, claiming none of the traits that defined Metro remain recognizable here.

« None of the qualities that defined Metro are apparent to me. Alas, after Exodus, this series has lost its identity. »

— @ludwigtheholydick · ♥ 0 · translated · see original ↗

Others point to the sheer amount of ammo shown on screen, the opposite of the scarcity that built tension in earlier entries.

« There is more ammo used in this trailer than I used in the entire last game. »

— @drunknmasta90 · ♥ 1 k · translated · see original ↗

Embraced reinvention 75 %

Part of the audience embraces Metro as 'a reliable FPS series that never disappoints,' fully accepting its shift toward action.

« A reliable FPS series that never disappoints »

— @therelaxedangler9326 · ♥ 523 · translated · see original ↗

Some say they don't want another grim, gray story and just want to see gameplay, showing part of the fanbase welcomes the more direct approach.

« Where's the gameplay? I don't care about another similarly depressing gray story — every media does that now because of the current zeitgeist. Show me the gameplay. »

— @ssloppenheimer · ♥ 0 · translated · see original ↗

Enthusiasm for the technical showcase and scale of the action ('my computer fans are already racing') reflects genuine excitement for the spectacle on display.

« I can already hear my computer fans racing. »

— @VillenthessisYT · ♥ 1 k · translated · see original ↗

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

~25% of the discussion on this game

On Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, the new combat system draws most of the criticism, seen as too close to a generic action game. The debate here is more evenly split than on the other titles.

Lost identity 55 %

For several players, the new 'Batman-style' combat erases exactly what set the series apart from other action games.

« I feel like the different approach to combat was one of the main differentiators of the prior games. Giving it Batman combat just makes it look like every other game these days. »

— @LikeACrouton · ♥ 97 · translated · see original ↗

One well-liked comment is blunt: this isn't Plague Tale anymore, just a generic action game.

German-language comments describe being 'quite skeptical' at first glance, feeling the game no longer resembles A Plague Tale and has become a fairly generic action title.

« I'm very skeptical, at first glance this has nothing to do with A Plague Tale anymore and becomes a rather generic action game. My first impression is quite negative. »

— @marcel-rotzoll · ♥ 61 · translated · see original ↗

Embraced reinvention 45 %

Others welcome the change without hesitation: 'more action, less stealth? I'm down.'

« More action, less stealth? I'm down. I'd still like to surf an ocean of rats though. »

— @goatburgler · ♥ 65 · translated · see original ↗

One comment notes the game is 'very different' from what fans know but says that's not an issue, the series remaining their favorite.

« This is VEEERRYYY different from what we're used to in the series. And I don't mind that one bit. Still my favorite game series ever. »

— @a.j4008 · ♥ 180 · translated · see original ↗

Some take a balanced view: if the developers genuinely wanted a new direction, that's part of being creative, and they hope it pays off.

« I don't know if an Uncharted-like direction is what I wanted for Plague Tale, but if the devs were truly tired of the previous direction, that's part of being creative. I hope they achieve what they're aiming for. »

— @rd-um4sp · ♥ 56 · translated · see original ↗

Control: Resonant

~15% of the discussion on this game

For Control: Resonant, the available corpus stays thin compared with the other three titles, but the same worry voiced elsewhere shows up faintly. The topic has been tracked since late July 2026 without a comparable wave of comments.

Lost identity 50 %

A minority of comments fear the focus on direct combat could erase the investigative, mind-bending side that made the original Control distinctive.

Others note the sequel gets lumped in, within discussions about other games, with a broader wave of action-leaning 'Resonance' titles, feeding worry by association.

Embraced reinvention 50 %

Conversely, some commenters say they're simply curious to see how the studio will evolve the powers and combat, without judging that negatively.

The few available reactions remain largely wait-and-see, neither clearly worried nor hostile to the announced changes.

Alien: Isolation 2

~15% of the discussion on this game

On Alien: Isolation 2, the worry centers on a possible softening of the merciless pursuit that made the first game's reputation. Part of the audience fears the creature's AI could be 'neutered' for accessibility's sake.

Lost identity 65 %

One detailed comment argues the merciless difficulty of evading the creature was precisely why the original worked, and dumbing it down would be a mistake.

« The unrelentingly difficult task of avoiding the Alien, and the tension created by the save stations, was THE REASON the original game was a masterpiece — dumbing it down because some people can't learn the underlying stealth tactics needed to stay alive would be a mistake. In short: don't pander to people like this interviewer who apparently has no idea how to play the game. »

— @domcoke · ♥ 8 · translated · see original ↗

Others hope the studio won't 'neuter' the alien just to make the game more approachable for players less used to this kind of pursuit.

« I hope they don't neuter the alien just because this interviewer can't play the game to save his life. »

— @CaptainBlaine · ♥ 22 · translated · see original ↗

One view sums up part of the audience's expectation: the sequel doesn't need to innovate, total fidelity to the original's tone and atmosphere would be enough.

« Really, the sequel doesn't need to innovate. Faithful adherence to the tone and atmosphere that made the original great, plus a compelling story and characters, is enough. »

— @wizaard7 · ♥ 0 · translated · see original ↗

Embraced reinvention 35 %

Some point out the series already explored more action-oriented variants with Dark Descent, and consider that diversity legitimate as long as the spirit is respected.

« I think Dark Descent perfectly captured the feel of Aliens, and Isolation captured that of Alien. Both 'variants' have their own legitimacy, and I'm really looking forward to Alien Isolation 2. »

— @MrPilani · ♥ 15 · translated · see original ↗

Others read the subtitle 'A.I. 2' as a hint the creature's intelligence, the heart of the first game, will be pushed further rather than a plain pivot to action.

« A.I. 2 is a hint that the Alien's AI is going to be even bigger than last time — the AI is the biggest talking point of the first game and what made it incredible, so I personally think it's a hint to all of us fans that it's coming back but even crazier. »

— @andrewhauge4338 · ♥ 1 · translated · see original ↗

Part of the audience trusts the studio, noting it remains focused on the spirit of the first film despite the engine change, which reassures them about its intentions.

« Honestly Creative Assembly knows what they're doing. The fact that they're still (even with all the latest entries in the universe) keeping their focus purely on the first movie (and maybe the second) just shows these guys go beyond cash — yes, it's Unreal Engine, but you have to see it from their perspective. If it were as terrible as people claim, the developers would know it. It would be a suicidal move to wait 10-12 years for a sequel with this much hype and gamble on an engine. They know what they're doing, and I can't wait! »

— @andrewhauge4338 · ♥ 23 · translated · see original ↗

Where the debate standsThe debate does span all four titles, though unevenly: outright rejection stays a minority view on Metro 2039, is far more visible on Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy and Alien: Isolation 2, and remains too thinly documented on Control: Resonant. In every case, the tension pits nostalgia for signature mechanics against pragmatic acceptance of evolving gameplay.

Frequently asked questions

Which games are involved in this debate over the shift toward action?: Four series come up in the comments: Metro 2039, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Control: Resonant and Alien: Isolation 2, with intensity ranging from 10% to 25% of the discussion depending on the game.
Do Plague Tale fans reject the new combat system?: Not unanimously: a majority of comments remain critical of the Batman-style combat, but a notable share of the audience says it enjoys the more dynamic approach without seeing it as a betrayal.
Is the concern as strong for Metro 2039 as for Alien: Isolation 2?: No, the concern is stronger for Alien: Isolation 2, where fear of a softened pursuit comes up often, while on Metro 2039 excitement for the action largely outweighs the criticism.
Is Control: Resonant also part of this controversy?: The topic is tracked there but stays marginal in the available comment volume, with no wave of criticism comparable to what's seen on the other three games.